Lick the Dust-(part 2)
by Lamech
Summary: Three days earlier...a warning, a plea and a feeling of betrayal.
1. paint it black

Angel the series belongs to Joss Whendon. I just sweep up the place. Sweep. Sweep. Sweep. Hey, if you like or don't like what you see then drop a line and tell me. [exit_12_@hotmail.com][1]

LICK THE DUST

(part one)

By Lamech

Gunn looked on from the black Plymouth. "You're really going to do this?"

Angel stood at the side of the monster of a car and stared at the club down the block. His face twisted in disgust. "He's in this mess because of my actions. I can not just abandon him."

The situation was all too familiar for Gunn like the replaying of some old song in the still of night. With narrowed eyes he shot the vampire a dirty look. "I didn't abandon my sister when my time came. I did what I had to do."

"Yes," whispered the vampire with the feeling of a tired child in him. "But you didn't have a choice. I do."

The tone in Angel's voice told Gunn that there was no way he was going to change his mind. He had known the vampire for only a few months and in that time he had learned that once Angel was set on something come hell or high-water it was going to be done. Gunn wanted to say a million things; a million swears, curses and insults. He wanted to tell Angel how stupid he was to his undead, moping face. That he should at least think of Cordelia now. But Gunn knew he'd be wasting his breath. Instead the hunter grabbed hold of the huge steering wheel and grinned, "Well, I'll tell you this. If anything happens to you, I'm keeping the car."

Angel couldn't help but smile. "Over my dead body."

"Good luck, Angel," whispered Gunn as he watched the vampire walk across the street towards the club. "Because God knows you're going to need it."

  
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   


The club was one of those hole in the wall places that would change its face every weekend. One day the old warehouse would be a raver station. A place where teens and twenty somethings would try to hold onto their youth for dear life through maddening beats of electric music and day-glo pacifiers. Another day it would be a goth palace. People would come to this hole dressed in the colors of a sorrowful sky and a vacant night. They would look like death warmed over, only they didn't know the first thing about real death. Otherwise they would bless each day of their limited lives. But today it was an industrial club. A loud, grimy, seedy industrial club. 

Angel could feel the music pounding at his chest harder and harder with every new brave step he took. He wondered why he always ended up in places like these. Why couldn't evil happen in cozy, beatnik jazz houses? Where he could fight evil and listen to some Charlie Parker. Angel shook his head. He needed to be clear minded. 

He felt within the folds of his jacket one more time. Yes, the tranquilizer gun was still there, like it had been there for the past four times he checked. Still a feeling of uneasiness swam within him. No, it wasn't uneasiness. The emotion was helplessness, as if the events of the previous three days were out of his control. He could have relived them several times over and the end result would have been the same. Death, pain and sorrow. The last time he had felt this way, this completely at the mercy of the winds, was when Buffy had died at the hands of the Master. He couldn't have done anything to change her path. Her death at the Master's hands had been mapped out before she had even been born. Thank God or who ever ran those things Xander was there to revive her.

Now there was no one to help him now. Sure, Giles had driven in from Sunnydale but he could only help so much. The one thing that the former Watcher needed to complete spell that would put an end to some of Angel's troubles was no where to be found. And while in L.A. there are hundreds of types of ethnic groups, gypsies as it seems, don't seem to be one of them. And they were the only ones that had the missing object of Angel's desire. Otherwise Giles was pretty much useless. It wasn't his fault. Gypsies were a group of people that were hard to sniff out. Though Angel was sure there had to be a band somewhere. And if there weren't any in L.A. he'd go to the next city and the next after that. He had all the time in the world mapped out in front of him. No one was going to make him give up. After all this was his mistake. 

And that last thought played in his mind like a broken record over and over again. No chance in heaven or hell was he going to abandon the young man. Angel knew that the man in return would never give up on him.

The chaotic music was screaming in Angel's ears as he moved through the club. The bass felt like a human heartbeat in his chest. The smell of sugar, vodka and pot hung in the air like a bizarre velvet curtain. Half-naked bodies both male and female rubbed against him and cooed into his ears. Promises of good times under the sheets with every sort of drug running in his beautiful veins were whispered. Cheap come-ons for a place like this. He pushed the bodies away. He did not have the time for any of this. Nor did he want it ever.

__

In the back room. Angel thought as he broke through the dance floor. He shoved some more bodies to the side. _That's what that oni said. 'If they took him anywhere then it would be the back room of that hell hole of a wannabe club!' _

Angel found his way to the door to the backroom. The in place of the club where all the well to do drug dealers, club groupies, clean whores, local rock darlings and other things hung out. Word on the street was that the crowd was into the occult. Vampires, dark magic, demons and such. Any normal bright eyed bushy tailed work a day person would have laughed it all while sipping his coffee and reading his morning paper. But Angel was far from normal and he had learned that it was better to believe first then doubt second. You were less likely to die that way. 

The oni was right. The young man was there, standing just outside the door of the back room. Angel almost failed to recognize him. The transformation in the man was almost a complete opposite to what the vampire had been used to, to what the vampire was happy to see every day in the office. Gone was the wheat colored linen and tweed, replaced by the very same pair of raven black leather pants that Angel had found the young man wearing when the vampire ran into him in the city for the first time. Only now they didn't look ridiculous. The young man was poured into them and he wore them like second skin. He was decked out in a form fitting high blue shirt that hugged close to his chest. Every muscle of his lean form shone under the black lights of the club. His skin seemed to glow under that same light, giving him an angelic look that was far from the truth. A hint of a sneering smile danced across his boyish face. 

He looked like sex. Not masculine. Not feminine. But raw sex. Powerful, rabid and chaotic. The type of hysterical screaming emotion that would drive the weak insane and make the strong paralyzed.

He was completely and utterly beautiful. 

A purple haired candy tasting type of girl covered in shimmering rubber came up to the young man. She took out what looked like a sheet of small stamps from her purse and ripped off a corner. The young man looked on with a faint hint of interest as the girl placed the paper on her tongue and stuck it out. The young man grinned as he leaned down and took his mouth to her own. The two of them sucked hungrily at each other blissfully unaware of the world around them. Their tongues slid across each other's as the LSD began to take hold of their minds. 

__

So, this is what he's like without any doubt in him. Angel thought as he took out the gun. _Without any self pity or fear. Without a conscience. Without a soul. _

Angel didn't like it. Those ill fitted _human_ traits, those imperfect flaws were what made the very person Angel cared about and was willing to lay his own life down for. But that person was gone. That human being vanished the moment the soul left the body. But if Angel had his way the animated body before him wasn't going to stay that way for long.

"WESLEY!" yelled Angel as he pointed the tranquilizer gun at the man before him.

The young man broke free from the girl's embrace and looked up. His eyes narrowed and his face exploded into a glare of disgust as he spied the vampire before him. And then to the horror of Angel Wesley's appearance changed. His baby face twisted and took on the vampire form that was all too common place for Angel. 

Angel had seen the act done a thousand times over and over again in a countless number of faces. But this was different. This was someone he really cared about. This was his _family. _He could feel himself wanting to breakdown then and there as reality came crashing down but he knew he couldn't. Instead his grip on the gun became tighter.

"C'mon, Wes," Angel commanded, "We're going home."

END OF PART ONE

   [1]: mailto:exit_12_@hotmail.com



	2. cuts you up

Angel the series was created and is own by Joss Whedon. Me? I'm an evil genius who has been trying to take over the world and yet finds the time to write fanfics. BWAHAHAHAHA!

LICK THE DUST

(part two)

by Lamech

_THREE DAYS EARLIER_

__

"This isn't what I thought you meant when you said we should see the country side, Angel!" Cordelia gasped as she ran with all her might across the thick grassy field. She had a bag full on iron horseshoes over her shoulder and a railroad spike in her right hand. The tall blades of grass were hitting against her bare shins. She felt like she was being whipped over and over again. But this was not the time to whine. Well, maybe a little one. "I thought we were going to this place to relax and do some case research. Not to chase some energy sucking Tinkerbell!"

Wesley was following her close behind with a large flash light in one hand and a book of Celtic spells in the other. He was panting. "This isn't some Tinkerbell, Cordelia. It's a _Leanhaun Sidhe_, an Irish spirit that exchanges inspiration to an artist for their life force." He stopped in order to catch his breath. "But this one has been only taking and not exchanging. She is out of control and must be stopped."

Cordelia stopped for a moment as well. "But why did she come out here instead of staying back in L.A.?"

"Because after all she is a nature spirit. If she is out of her element and around iron like the buildings and cars in the city for too long she will grow ill and die."

"And she couldn't have stayed in the city and have made it easier for us because….?"

Angel suddenly ran past them as if the wind was carrying him. "Come on, I saw her go into the barn up ahead." He disappeared into the shadows of the country night. 

Wesley and Cordelia looked at each other and sighed. The girl dropped the heavy sack and grabbed the flashlight and the book from Wesley's hands. "My turn to take the light load." She ran away before Wesley could even protest. 

The young man looked at the bag and picked it up. The weight made his arms ache. Sighing again, he tossed the bag over his shoulder. His feet sank into the dry summer grass a little more. He was going to feel this come morning. 

Angel burst into the abandon barn like a madman. Untamed grass had reclaimed the dirt bottom of the place while cobwebs covered the rest. The harsh smell of mold and rotting wood floated around. The barn was a perfect hideout. No human in his right mind would have entered such a condemned area. However a nature spirit was another thing all together. 

Something skittered across Angel's path. In the almost pitch-black barn it could have been the spirit or just a common field mouse. But Angel wasn't taking any chance. His face turned from human to demon. In his demon form his night vision was twice as good. 

The shadows that drowned the place sneaked back and Angel could see something-large running along the back of the barn. He squeezed the railroad spike that was being held in his hands. 

"You might as well give up," he shouted to the moving shadow. "We both know how this is going to end."

__

"Pog mo thon," hissed a voice that sounded like two women speaking at once. One high pitch voice and the other smooth as molasses.

A great deal of time had passed since Angel had last heard his native tongue. Even when he was a boy not that many people spoke Irish in Dublin because of the large English influence on the city. But somehow the translation to that insult was still fresh in his mind. He smiled despite himself and shook the stake, "Bend over!"

A milky blur raced across the vampire's field of vision and vanished into another shadow. A sharp pins and needles pain grew across Angel's right cheek. His hand rubbed the raw skin. A moment passed before his mind had registered what had just happened. _She slapped me? She slapped me!_

A maniac giggle filled the barn. 

This sidhe was toying with him. Angel sneered as he backed up into the shadows of the barn. He became almost invisible in the dark. The giggle stopped. 

Cordelia ran into the barn with the flashlight in hand. "Angel?" she called out as she ran the light along the rotting walls. As far as she could tell the place was empty. _Maybe he chased her around back? _She looked around again and covered her nose._ Guy, this place stinks._

Wesley stumbled in behind her. He dropped the bag with a groan. Cordelia threw him a glance. "Hey, Wes. Did you see Angel go around back?"

He looked up with tired eyes, "Hmmm?" Cordelia swung around and by mistake shot the beam of light right in Wesley's face. The light seared his eyes. The young man hissed as he was momentarily blinded. 

A milky blur jumped in between the two landing on all fours like a cat. She stood up with her body still arched. The creature turned to Cordelia giving the girl a clear view of her face. The spirit was not that tall, barely over five feet with long brown hair that was tied up in a maze of braids. Her skin was the color of milk with a green tint to it. From the back she looked almost human but her face was far from it. Her eyes were gold on gold without any whites and they seemed a little too large for the creature's small face. Her mouth was small and her brow was too smooth and flat to be normal. Black tattoos decorated the ridge were her missing eyebrows should have been. Two large doe like ears jutted up from the sides of her head. They twitched back and forth as if they were trying close in on a sound. She looked more deer like then human. 

"Cordelia!" Wesley cried as his sight began to come back to him. He charged forward with the bag in his arms. 

The sidhe's ears twitched towards Wesley's voice. Her body followed second. The young man stopped in his tracks as the creature lowered herself back onto her feet and leaped at him. He closed his eyes and felt the sidhe's mouth on his own. With every suck from her Wesley could feel himself becoming weaker and weaker. Cordelia screamed for the creature to get off of him. She charged swiping at anything that was in her path with the iron spike. Angel suddenly landed on his feet just a few inches from the girl. Cordelia froze in her tracks overjoyed that Angel had finally appeared. Angel's hands grabbed the creature by her braids and pulled as hard as he could. 

A scream poured from her tiny mouth. The creature fell over backwards into Angel's arms. Wesley collapsed onto the barn floor with eyes rolling into the back of his head. His body almost showed no signs of life. But he was still alive. 

"Cordelia!" Angel yelled and he reached out for her. 

"Right!" she yelled and tossed him the railroad spike in her hand. 

He caught it and raised it over the back of the creature's neck. 

"Wait!" the creature hissed in Irish. 

Angel obeyed.

The creature looked up and into Angel's eyes. "Look!" She cooed as she pointed at Wesley. "I want you to know this." The Irish the vampire knew struggled to meet the Irish the sidhe was saying.

"What?" he answered back in the creature's language. His eyes followed along the sidhe's unusually long arm to where Wesley was lying unconscious. 

A woman in white was bent over the young man. Pale pink flesh ran over the young man's gentle face tracing every curve with her fingertips. Her long black hair covered her face as tears fell from her and onto Wesley's gray shirt. She was weeping. And with every passing moment the sound of her sorrow grew louder and harsher. 

"Who is that?" Angel whispered as his old Irish superstitions began to crawl through his mind. 

The answer was already beginning to form in the vampire's mind but he did not want to believe it. But when the sidhe in his arms whispered back with a smile, "Sister." He knew his worse fears were true.

The creature that was with Wesley threw her head back revealing her true appearance. Her face was like that of a barn owl. Black on black eyes with a strong nose and brow ridge across her milk white face. Her large mouth opened and let out a blood-curdling wail. 

Angel's heart sunk into his chest. _The Irish messenger of Death. No. It can't be. _ The energy in the vampire poured out in one whisper, "Banshee." The creature in the vampire's arms giggled making the vampire raise the spike over his head once more. He shoved the sidhe down to the ground and pushed her face into the dirt. "Get her off of him right now!"

The creature sighed as if she could not understand Angel's stupidity. "You know I can't do that. Sister's kind doesn't like to obey anyone. And even if I could what bit of different would that make? She is just the messenger." 

Another wail from the banshee crashed into Angel's ears. In the dirt the creature giggled again.

"Your friend is going to die. Maybe not today but soon and there is not a thing you can do about it. In fact, vampire, he might even meet his fate by your own hands."

The vampire hissed and slammed the spike down on the nape of the sidhe's neck. The creature screamed as the iron stake shattered her bones like fine china. A moment later the body went limp and began to change. Milky green flesh transformed into wood and leaves and began to rot until it was nothing more than a compost heap. Angel glared up at the banshee but she was no longer there. Instead Cordelia was shaking the young man and shouting how this was no time for naps. She spoke of nothing about the creature that once loomed over him.

Angel shook his head in confusion. _She didn't see it? Cordelia didn't see the banshee?_ Hope grew in him. _Maybe it was a trick. An illusion by the sidhe._ He stood over the young man and looked down. His right hand patted the side of Wesley's face, "Wesley, wake up now."

A pathetic groan came from Wesley's lips as his eyelids fluttered. "Oh, why do I always get the worse kisses?" Angel smiled in relief.

"Hey!" Cordelia sneered as she helped the young man to his feet. "I have you know that I am a great kisser." 

Wesley hummed an incoherent response that the girl ignored. She did not want to be mad at the young man. She was just glad he was okay. A little worse for wear but okay. "Time to go home," she said as she placed one of the young man's arms around her shoulders and helped him walk.

Angel grabbed Wesley's other arm and placed it around his neck. "Good job, you two."

"Yeah," Cordelia said with a smirk, "Remind me when Christmas rolls around to go and kick the elves that hang around with the mall Santa." 

Wesley snickered as he could just imagine Cordelia doing exactly that. He dropped his head because it was becoming to heavy to keep up. "Hey," he proclaimed as he looked up at the two of them, "My shirt is wet. How did it get wet? Did something happened while I was passed out?"

Cordelia answered this is in a puzzled look as she felt up Wesley's shirt. Sure enough it was damp. But she didn't remember anything happening that would cause that. "You were probably just drooling."

"I do not drool," protested Wesley. 

Angel suddenly stopped in his tracks almost making the Cordelia and Wesley fall over backwards. He turned and brought Cordelia's flashlight over the young man's shirt. Large damp spots dotted the fabric. 

"See what did I tell you?" Cordelia smiled, "Drool spots."

"But I DO NOT drool!" the young man hissed back.

"Fine, then what could have caused it?"

__

Tears, Angel thought as he fear spread through him. _That wasn't an illusion. _He took hold of Wesley and pushed forward almost in a harsh matter. Cordelia stumbled over her feet but did not fall.

"Whoa there," she sputtered as she hurried along. "I see someone wants to get home in time to see "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."" Angel did not smile. Cordelia turned away as her countless attempt at humor failed. "Hey, Angel," she said as a question popped in her mind. "Back in the barn when you were talking to that psycho pixie, I couldn't understand you two. What was that anyway, Latin, Greek?"

"Irish."

"Oh, right up your alley. Anyway, what was she saying?"

Angel looked at Wesley. His head was hanging down gently. He looked at peace. 

The sidhe's voice began to creep into the vampire's head. _"And there is not a thing you can do about it."_

Angel narrowed his brown eyes and stared at the stars over head. "Nothing, Cordelia. She was just insulting me. Nothing more than that."

___________________________________________________________________________

The next morning Wesley was back to his old self. The effects of the sidhe's kiss were not permanent since she was no longer alive. Angel still suggested that he should take a day off and sleep in. Relax a bit and not go anywhere. But Wesley would listen to nothing of the sort. A brush with death like that left him with a new amount of energy in him. If Angel did not let him work then he was going to go out there and do a little undead hunting by himself. So, Angel might as well make him work and take advantage of his new lease on life. 

Angel sighed and told Wesley okay. But that he was only to do paper work and nothing else for a while. The words of sidhe haunted the vampire's mind. He figured as long as Wesley's was in arm's length, Angel could keep an eye on him. 

Wesley peaked behind the linen blinds of the office and felt the warm morning sun against his face. That was one the few things that he hated about having a vampire as a friend. The sun had to be a no show or else. 

"Coffee?" offered Cordelia as she handed a mug to the young man. Wesley thanked the girl as he took it. He went back to gazing out the window. Cordelia peaked out of the window as well. Today would have been the perfect day to stroll the boardwalk. 

"Ahem," coughed a voice.

Wesley and Cordelia jumped in their skins as they turned around. Angel stood at the doorway of his office. "Enjoying the view?"

Blushing, Wesley smoothed down the blind making sure it covered every inch of the glass pane. "Nice day…"

Angel shrugged his shoulders because there was no way of him knowing that for himself. He would have to just take the young man's word on it. Walking over the Cordelia's desk he began to look over the daily paperwork. The pile was light. "So, what do we have for today?"

Cordelia gazed over a large stack of papers that sat next to the daily paperwork. She waved at them proudly. "Nothing for today. At least not yet. But thanks to yesterday's Tinkerbell case we now have this and next month's light and water bill paid off along with the last bill for the reconstruction of the office." She dumped the bills in the shredder and smiled at the satisfying sound of the machine working. "Who knew that the O'Connors were so generous?"

Wesley walked over to the Mr. Coffee and poured himself a cup, "That makes sense if you think about it for a moment. We did save their son from that deadly sidhe. I know I would be eternally grateful if someone saved me from a fate of death."

Ice seemed to pour through every vein in Angel's body that instant. His hands began to tremble a bit but when he put down the paperwork it stopped. He looked up at Wesley who was in the middle of stuffing a doughnut in his mouth.

The young man blush brightly as he realized how rude he was being. He swallowed the bit that was in his mouth turned around and picked up the doughnut box behind him. He offered the box to Angel. "Doughnut?" his voice hummed in a soothing tone.

Angel did not respond. Instead he stared at the young man through unblinking eyes as if to the freeze Wesley in that moment forever. The young man answered this with a shake of the box. "They're fresh from the bakery."

Sadly, Angel shook his head. He gazed at the emptiness of the floor around him. A thought crossed his mind. "If the day continues to be like this maybe we should close shop early and do something. All three of us. Together." Looking around he spied the morning newspaper on the couch. He picked it up and turned to the entertainment section.

Cordelia and Wesley looked at each as if the two of them had just slipped into a Twilight zone episode. 

"Here we are," Angel proclaimed with a rustle of the paper. "Bowling! I haven't bowled in decades." He folded the paper in half in order to make the ad he was looking at more prominent. Turning the paper around he pointed out the picture of a nuclear family complete with the family dog in a bowling shirt playing a frame. The bold caption over them stated 100% fun guaranteed. "Wesley can drive the Plymouth while I stay under the covers in the back. I can make a mad dash into the place with no real worry about the sun. And after that we can bowl away into the night. What do you say?" 

A smile grew across the vampire's face. A smile that was starting to creep out Cordelia. She took one step to Wesley's side and folded her arms. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with our Angel?"

Crestfallen, Angel dropped the paper, "Wha-what do you mean?"

"Our Angel would never be caught in a bowling alley, even with a vial of Holy Water over him," the girl stated with narrowing eyes. 

Angel bit his lip, "But it's fun."

"And this is twisted!"

Angel's eyes went dead and cold. In a frustrated heap, he collapsed onto the couch. He picked up the paper, crunched it into a ball and threw it right next to him. Burying his tired head into his worn hands he growled, "I give up. I can't win."

Cordelia leaned towards Wesley's ears, "And brooding Angel is back."

"I heard that." Angel glared at the two people before him. "I don't get it. You two are practically down my throat everyday on how I should cheer up and look for the silver lining in the proverbial cloud. But the moment I do you think I've lost my mind." He looked away. "What do you want from me then? I was just trying to be nice. I thought… You know, I don't know what I was thinking." 

Guilt was starting to grow in Cordelia. "Look, Angel," she interrupted in a soft motherly voice. "I'm sorry if I came across crude. It's just you went from one extreme to another. From Trent Reznor to Kathie Lee." She took a seat next to the vampire and rubbed his back. "Of course Wes and I would love to see you happy. But you should start slowly."

"Like how?"

The girl was stumped. She shrugged her shoulders, "Oh, I don't know. Start with Jimmy Stewart movies and work from there."

Angel smirked at the idea of him lounging around in front of the television and watching "Harvey". Actually the idea wasn't that bad. Still he turned to the girl and asked, "So bowling is out of the question?"

She smiled back. "You kidding? I just had my nails done."

"Uhm…" Wesley suddenly spoke up while pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. 

Angel and Cordelia looked up at the man. "What is it, Wes?" Cordelia asked.

"Who is Kathie Lee?"

A thread of shock ran past Angel and Cordelia. Their mouths dropped open. The girl groaned as she got up and grabbed herself a doughnut. "Oh, you need to watch more television, Britboy." 

"But I do watch television!" Wesley protested as he felt a blush coming on.

Cordelia broke off a piece of doughnut and waved it at him as if it were a pointer. "Something besides PBS and Nightline."

Just when Wesley was about to shoot back the office door opened. A young man with skin the color of thick chocolate and eyes that had seen too much too soon walked in.

Angel stood up in shock, "Gunn?" 

The young man gave a brief nod of the head. He felt a little out of place standing in the office. And he knew he looked out of place too. But he had a mission and he knew he had to carry it out. "You said if I ever needed your help I could just come and ask." His voice tried hard to disguise the concern and worry that it was drowning in. But it was failing. 

__

And when I told you that you just scoffed at me. Angel thought. But he did not dare speak those words out loud. He crossed his arms. "I did do that. What do you need?"

The young man dropped the bike messenger's bag that he was lugging onto the floor. It was bulging with papers, vials of Holy Water and stakes. "_I need_," he said in a voice that mocked Angel's, "everything you got." Pulling out a file he went to Cordelia's desk and laid out the paperwork. He nodded at the girl and at Wesley. They nodded back remembering that it was him and his gang that had watched over them while they lied helpless in the hospital. Now if there was anything they could do to return the favor they were geared to do it.

The paperwork consisted of maps of Chinatown and lower L.A. and photographs. Large red circles were slapped across the maps with notes in messy penmanship. While most of the pictures were that of Asian men in expensive suits. "A new gang has been moving on my territory and this isn't just another turf war. These men have been kidnapping all the homeless and turning them into vampires. And they have been taking these vampires and have been setting them loose to terrorize the local merchants."

"And if the merchants wants the vampires to go away they pay a fee to gang," followed Angel. 

Gunn nodded. "It's racketeering but in the most dangerous form. These guys are good. They are smart, organize and ruthless. And they're getting bigger by the day. What is worse is vampires are not the only nonhumans they use. I've seen them with large blue horned demons. And turtle-duck demons that have taste for human flesh."

Wesley let out a small gasp as he took off his glasses. The color rushed from his face. "Oni and kappa."

Everyone turned to the young British man with a puzzled look. "Say what?" Cordelia sneered, "Is there something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?"

The young man ignored the girl's remark and turned his attention to Gunn, "Does this gang have a name?"

"Yeah," Gunn shrugged and nodded. "It was odd sounding. Like Yakoo. Or Yakki. Or Yak."

"Yakuza," whispered Wesley as his eyes went vacant. He placed his glasses back on and tried to regain his composure.

"I've heard that name before," Angel said as he scrunched his brow. 

"It's the Japanese Mafia."

"_Mafia_?" Cordelia gasped as she shivered. Images of all the Godfather movies flashed through her mind. She imagined herself waking up next to a horse's head. Not the best sight in the world. "Oh, damn."

Wesley was still solemn, "Oh, damn is right. I know the Yakuza have been here in America for a while but they have never included demons in their ranks. But if they have it's only because they are serious about taking control." He leaned over and took a look at Gunn's map. 

Cordelia shook her head in amazement. Wesley never seemed the mafia trivia buff type. "How do you know all this?"

Wesley answered in a voice that cold and distant. He hated reliving memories. More so when the memories were bad. "Six years ago after losing much of their strength in Japan due to government crackdown, the Yakuza thought it would be in their best interest to turn for help via the occult. And so they took in Oni, those blue demons, and Kappa, those turtle-duck demons, as well as other creatures. The slayer summoned at the time was in Japan and fought long and hard to end their rein in Kobe and Tokyo. She won in destroying the creatures but in the end the Yakuza murdered her and her Watcher for it. I at the time was still in training to become a Watcher and was apprenticing as a field reporter. You see when a slayer is killed it is usually her Watcher that files the field report on how and why she was killed. But in this case with the both of them dead I was sent out to file the report." He paused and looked away as if Wesley did not want the others to see the fear and sadness in his eyes. "My first field report. The Yakuza had shot the two making them immobile. And then they disemboweled the Watcher and the slayer so that they would bleed to death slowly and painfully. The Watcher, Ian Gromen, was a friend of mine. And the slayer, Maki Goto, was only fourteen at the time."

"Fourteen?!" cried Cordelia as she shivered at the grotesque images of the murders in her head. She knew that that slayers were usually young girls but she had no idea that they started that young. And who knows maybe there were even young slayers throughout history. Child slayers that defended the human race.

"Wait," whispered Angel as he looked up, "Six years ago was when Buffy was summoned. Does that mean…"

"That Maki was her predecessor?" Wesley nodded, "Yes." He picked up a photo of a youngish looking Japanese man wearing a gray suit that failed to completely cover up the tattoo of a dragon that was crawling up the side of his neck. "I know this man. Hirotaka Ito. He was there in Kobe when I was writing the report. He knew about the Watchers and what I was." Wesley put down the picture and began rolling up his right sleeve until it was in the middle of his upper arm. A pink faded scar was slashed across his pale skin. Everyone leaned in to get a closer look. "A bullet scar. He gave that to me. It wasn't meant to kill me but to warn others not interfere with the Yakuza."

"Oh, my God you must have peed in your pants!" Cordelia spat out before realizing what she had just said. She looked up at Wesley and blushed; "I did not say that."

Wesley smiled despite himself as he rolled his sleeve back down. "You were right on one point. I was frightened. Frighten to the point that I did not leave the Watcher Headquarters until I was assigned to Buffy against my will." 

"Then you have no choice," proclaimed Gunn as he slammed a hand down on the paperwork. His face had taken on the look of a concern parent for the welfare of his children. He was indeed worried. Vampires he could handle. Even sadistic lawyers were pretty much a cakewalk. But the Yakuza was something all together. It was a combination of the two other problems with demons he had never heard of or imagined in his worst nightmares. He was at his wit's end. A feeling the controlled young man despised. "Then you just know how bad Yakuza is. You have to do something." 

"I'll do something," Angel spoke. He gathered up the paperwork and placed it back into the folder. The vampire's hands trembled a bit as he did this. He tried hard to hide the fear that was screaming to get out. A vision of the banshee over Wesley's body was pounding in his head. He could feel a migraine coming on. "I don't want Wes or Cordy to get involved."

"Why not?" asked Wesley in a surprised voice that was sharp with anger. He felt like Angel was doubting him again. 

Gunn took the file from Angel's hands. "Yes, why not? We need every warm body on this job. And Wesley could be valuable on finding way to defeat these demons. 'Cause, V-man, I don't think crosses and Holy Water are going to cut it."

Codelia raised her hand, "Uhm, do I have any say in this?" No one was paying any attention to her.

"This is too dangerous, Gunn!" Angel hissed as he shot the man a glare. He could feel his face wanting to change but fought back the urge. "I don't want my people to get hurt."

"And what about the people out there, Angel?" Wesley hissed back getting the vampire's attention. He looked at Angel over the rim of his glasses. "Do they mean of any importance? If I can help-!"

"Stay out of this, Wesley! It's for your own good! You will be killed if you go!" Angel screamed as he swung his arm out in front of him swiping Wesley. 

Out of sheer instinct the young man took a step back as he felt the flesh of his right cheek begin to burn. There was no need of a mirror to know that there was a series of red marks on his cheek displaying where the fingers had just been. He felt a shiver of fear run through his system like a virus infecting every pore in his body. A fat swift gasp escaped his lips. Memories of his own father beating him in order to "knock some sense" into him played into his mind. Instantly the fear turned to anger and then into pure rage. A new flush of red painted his face. He had enough of being bullied. The Yakuza had hurt him and had murdered not only a fellow Watcher but also a dear friend of his. Wesley was usually above such trivial things such as revenge but in this case he could not ignore the problem at hand. To turn his back was to turn on everything he believed in. He looked at the vampire before him with new eyes. And for a moment he had lost all respect in Angel. The feeling made the young man sick to his stomach. 

Wesley felt his teeth sink into his tongue. The stuffy Brit in him fought with rude emotions that were fighting to get out. Wesley knew that if he stayed in the office a second longer he was going to say something that he would regret. That he was positive on. 

Quietly he turned around and walked towards the door.

"Wesley, where are you going?" called out Angel in a voice that was laced with anger. When the young man did not answer but instead opened the entrance door Angel took on a look of concern, "Wes, where are you going? Wes, tell me!" His voice and body could no longer the fear that lurked beneath it, "Wesley! Wait, don't go."

Wesley continued out the door. Angel glanced towards Cordelia. "Follow him and make sure he stays safe."

"Are you sure he would want that?" the girl said in an uneasy voice.

"Cordelia!"

The girl grabbed her purse and hurried out the door, "I'm going, I'm going."

An uncomfortable silence fell on the office as Angel collapsed into Cordelia's office chair. He buried his head in his worn hands and sighed as if he was the dumbest thing in creation. Gunn looked at the door and then at Angel. This was not how things should have happened. At least not according to his plans. 

"Okay," he breathed, "that was…awkward."

END OF PART TWO


	3. making plans for nigel

Angel the series was created and is owned by Joss Whedon. (EAT AT JOE'S.) 

Can you tell I am running out of clever and not so clever of things to say?

As always please tell me what you think by way of a review or e-mail. Or you can go visit my webpage (Just click on my name to find the link) and sign the old guestbook. Whatever floats your boat. (bows and departs.)

LICK THE DUST

(part three)

by Lamech

Cordelia's heels scraped against the pavement as she clicked along down the block. With every step she took she knew she was on the verge of toppling over at any moment. These were shoes made for show not for people chasing. With half of a gaze down at her feet, making sure every step was carefully planned and the other half of the gaze up at the young man who was storming down the street Cordelia began to whine. "Wes! Wesley, wait up!"

The young man refused to look at the woman. "Go back to the office, Cordelia."

Over the clicking of her heels she failed to hear Wesley's order. She continued to hobble, "Wes, I'm going to fall and twist my ankle. Slow down!"

Silence answered the girl. Wesley came up to his bike and fished out the keys from his pocket. He climbed on and only then did he see the girl stumbling down the street like a well-dressed drunkard. He frowned. "You are going to hurt yourself if you keep on walking like that."

The girl shot up a dirty look at the young man as if he was overstating the obvious. Which he was. With a disgusted huff she tore of her shoes and stormed down the street barefooted. Wesley stared on with an amazed look. He had to hand it to the girl, when push came to shove, Cordy was tough. And it was this action that gave Wesley pause enough for Cordelia to come up to him. 

She smacked the side of his arm with one of her shoes. "And where the hell do you think you're going?" Her voice was curt. And her face matched her attitude. In fact her whole body looked like it had a desire to knee the man in where it counts.

"Out," the man replied back in an equally abrupt fashion.

"Out? OUT!" she yelled as her hands flew in the air, "Out means to me, "Look, I'm going out for a cup of coffee." Or "I'm going out to get some fresh air." What you are doing is what I like to call a suicide mission."

The young man rolled his eyes, "Cordelia."

"No, don't you _"Cordelia"_ me," she said imitating his British clip. "I want you to get off this motorcycle and come back with me." 

"And for what so Angel can…"

The girl raised her right hand, which still sported a heel. "Angel did not mean it. He was trying to look out for your skin. It was you who…"

"Needed to have some sense knocked into me," Wesley finished in an icy tone. He turned his gaze back to his bike and shoved the key into the ignition. A moment later the key was gone yanked out by Cordelia. She hopped back a good five feet away from the man. 

"Hey," he snapped, "Give those back."

"No, not until you listen," the girl said as she held the keys in a tight fist, "You know, sometimes I do think you need some sense knocked into you."

"Well, then get Angel out here to slap me again. But wait, he can't now, can he? The sun's out. Perhaps Gunn should have a go at me. Or would you like to do the honors?" He gave the girl a vacant hallowed eyes stare. Climbing off his bike he walked up to her. With hands balled into shaking fists he continued, "But what if the slapping doesn't work? What if I am too stupid to realize what a fool I am? What will you do then?" He closed his eyes as obscene images began to drown his mind. Images of the beatings his father would give him. He could see the welts form across his pale skin. Red and raw like battered meat. He could the feel the pain afterwards. Just as harsh and violent as the welts. His nerves began to tense up as his nails dug deeper into the flesh of his palms. His eyes became narrowed slits of anger. "Perhaps you should shove me in a closet until I have learned my lesson."

Cordelia's back hit the front of the brick build behind her as she inched backwards. Her heart quickened. "Wesley, you're scaring me."

The man shivered as he closed his eyes. He turned away and held out an open palm, "Give me the keys, Cordelia. Now."

The girl pressed the keys against her chest in protest, "After that little Mr. Hyde speech?

Let me give you an answer in a phrase that I believe you will comprehend, _hell no._"

"Cordelia!" the man hissed as he glared at the woman eye to eye, "Stop this nonsense!"

The girl's face became calm which made Wesley hold his breath. He did not care for that expression at all. Her eyes seemed to look straight through him rather at him. As if his tissue paper soul was on display. His own eyes turned from anger to pain and then into humiliation, "Please, Cordelia." There was a quiver of fright in his frail voice.

With a soft sigh the girl spoke, "I've never seen you this way before, Wesley."

The young man fell silent as his eyes shifted as if he was trying to look for a way out. Any way out as long as he could escape from her gaze. His eyes became cloudy as if he wanted to cry but he could not do so.

"You're angry," the girl whispered.

"I've been angry before."

A slight chuckle fell from her lips, "Yes, you have. But it's always been that stiff upper lip, proper British anger. The type where you would kick your enemies' shins all the while balancing a saucer and teacup because heaven forbid you miss teatime. This… This is different. You're angry and hurt. Very hurt."

The young man wanted to yell for her to stop but the words refused to come out. Instead he gritted his teeth and folded his arms.

"And this isn't about Angel anymore. Well, not entirely. Something happened to you a long time ago. Something I, myself, could never understand. And you feel a need to correct it."

It was then that Wesley spoke, "If you understand this then why won't you let me go?"

"Because it's a mistake to do whatever you have to do by yourself. Wes, Angel and I are your friends. No, we're more than friends, we're family. We should stick together."

"You will only get in the way and get hurt."

The girl frowned as she poked the lining of her cheek with her tongue, "And you won't? What? Do you have some sort of superpowers that I don't know about? If you do then that totally explains the Clark Kent look you're sporting." 

Wesley smiled despite himself; "I am not getting those keys without a fight, am I?"

Waving the keys like a prize, the girl returned his smile, "You've got that right, Buster."

____________________________________________________________

Angel leaned against the wall as Gunn looked through the blinds. The vampire was practically jumping up and down with tense nervous energy. He knew that if he had any food in his stomach he would be bent over a toilet throwing it up because of his nerves. "Well?" he snapped at the young man.

Gunn sighed, "They're still down there talking. Look, do you want me to go down there and coldcock him because I can. And, personally, that would make me happy because we've got other things to worry about other than the Aaron Spelling knock off that's happening down there."

Angel shook his head as he sat down at Cordelia's desk, "No, then Wes would really be angry at me. He already has a fine reason to be. Don't add to it." 

Gunn raised his brow. This was not exactly the Angel he had come to look for help. The Angel he wanted was a cold unemotional vampire who seemed to know how to do only two things; fight and brood. Instead the being in front of him was practically jumping out of his skin like a mother watching her child go off to the first day of school. Frankly, it was a pathetic sight. He scowled and stared out the window. 

_______________________________________________________

Cordelia folded her arms, "Ok, how about this, I give you the keys only, and this is _the only_,after you've returned with me to the office. After that you can do whatever you want."

Welsey shook his head, "And as if Angel would allow me to walk back out. You have no confidence in me, do you?"

"I do so," the girl protested, "I have confidence with your role in this whole Powers that Be scheme. You're fact-finding, research guy. You do the research, Angel fights and I have the visions. It's a well oiled machine, Wes."

"So, you don't think I can fight."

"Wesley," the girl whined as she scrunched up her face, "I didn't say that."

"But you implied."

"I did not!" She stomped a bare foot on the ground, "Geez. Has anyone ever told you that you argue like a girl?" Rubbing her temple she sighed, "I've got such a headache."

Suddenly on the far-left side of the block a car's tires squealed. The sound of a roaring engine followed. A white classic Falcon peeled around the corner and raced down the street. The driver rocketed past the couple. Cordelia glared, "Where did he get his license from? A Cracker Jack box?"

Wesley did not answer. He skin was turning white with fear. The car continued down the road until it was right next to Gunn's truck. An object flew from the white car onto the bed of the trunk. Then the car twisted around nearly flipping it on its side. The smell of burning rubber filled the air. 

"This is not good," whispered Cordelia to herself as she watched the car return back down the road.

Suddenly the auto began to slow down as it approached them. It still sped towards them at a rapid pace but the Falcon had dropped its speed enough for the couple to look into the car's front window. Two men in sharp dressed suits could be seen. Both were Asian with close-cropped hair. The driver waved a hand at Wesley and Cordelia in a typical American greeting fashion. Only the hand was missing its pinkie. 

Wesley gasped as he grabbed Cordelia by her arms. "Get down," he yelled as the passenger of the car pulled out an MG0367-Uzi and began firing. A bullet ripped the skin of Wesley's arm just bellow his previous scar. His mouth opened to scream but he didn't allow himself the luxury. That second was too precious to lose. Cordelia dropped to the ground screaming as Wesley lied on top to shield her. He shoved a hand over her mouth and played dead. Bits of blown away brick from the building behind them rained down. The sound of the gun mimicked screaming thunder. Wesley felt like he was in the middle of a tempest rather than a gun battle. The Falcon sped away back around the corner. 

Slowly, Wesley sat up. He pulled Cordelia up as well who was sobbing uncontrollably. 

The young man hugged her, "It's okay, it's okay, they're gone." 

The girl grabbed the young man his shirtsleeve trying to get a better grasp on him. She looked like a scared kitten all helpless and lost. Suddenly her hand felt wet. She looked at it and screamed. Blood was smeared across the palm. "You were shot! You were shot!" she wailed.

Grabbing the girl by the shoulders Wesley shook his head. "It's only a flesh wound. It will stop bleeding soon." He pushed back her hair around her ears and wiped her eyes. "Were you hurt?"

She shook her head as her face tightened. With every ounce of strength in her she tried to hold her emotions in. But the dam burst with another wail as she buried her head in Wesley's chest. The young man held her again and whispered soothing words of comfort. 

A moment later the block shook.

An explosion came from the opposite end of the block. The object the strangers in the car had thrown into Gunn's truck turned out to be a bomb. And the time had ended. The windows of all the cars around the truck exploded in a tsunami of glass. Car alarms roared like upset children. A flying piece of debris landed at Wesley's right foot. It was Gunn's right side view mirror. The sticker _Objects are closer than they appear_ was still on the glass. Wesley fell back from the force of the blast and Cordelia lied right next to him. The event was over before they could react. Like a slap across the face from a stranger, they were in shock. 

"Cordelia!" the young man yelled as he sat up and looked over the girl. Shaking her head as if someone had thumped her the girl whispered something incoherent. 

She coughed and spoke again, "Wes, what happened?" Her eyes flickered as the reality that she was lying on the ground began to sink in. Her ears rang with pain. Her sight registered the world around her in shades of gray. She shut her eyes and opened them again. Pastel hues greeted her and then the rest of the colors began to follow. She picked up a piece of glass that was laying next to her on the pavement. Looking it over with profound confusion she asked, "That was the Yakuza, wasn't it? Wes? That was them, right?"

The young man frowned as he glared at the burning remains of Gunn's truck. Anger began to burn in his chest. This whole thing, every last piece of it began to feel like Kobe all over again. Only one thing was different. He was not the same. He was not afraid to fight. Turning back to the girl he looked around her. There a few inches from her open left hand was the object of his desire. His keys. He snatched them up and helped Cordelia to her feet. She wobbled for a bit but steadied herself. Suddenly she felt herself being hugged by Welsey. His embrace was strong and loving like that of a brother. She felt his warm breath on her cheek. A soft kiss followed. A confused look came over the girl as she watched Wesley let go. He raced back to his bike and turn it on before she could react.

"Wesley," she mumbled as she took a tired step forward. Glass from the shattered car windows cut into the flesh of her feet. She winced and let out a helpless whine.

For a moment that he was watching her, Wesley felt the urge to hop back off his bike and carry the woman back into the office. But he knew the instant he did that Angel would never let him back out. Instead the young man closed his eyes and prayed that not only would the girl forgive him but Angel as well. With that he pulled out his bike and drove off in the direction of the Falcon.

Cordelia screamed after him until her voice was sore. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Slapping her shoes back on despite have a piece of glass still stuck into her flesh she ran back to the office as fast as her uneasy hobble would let her. 

_______________________________________________________________

Gunn was already halfway out the door when the explosion happened. He had heard drive-byes before. How could he not have in L.A.? Shootings were as common place here as were the chirping of songbirds in the south. By the time the last bullet rang out he was up on his feet and heading towards the door. Then a few seconds later, the explosion happened. 

Luckily the blinds on the window were thick. They kept most of the exploding glass in place. Still Gunn fell back in the hallway in shock. He looked at Angel who was a few feet in front off him, shaking like a guilty madman. The vampire and the young man exchanged confused and then scared glances. Suddenly Angel sped up to Gunn and grabbed him by the shirt yanking him violently him to his feet. Angel knew very well he could not go outside so Gunn had to be his eyes. 

Gunn understood and ran out the front entrance. The first thing he spied was the burning pyre that was his truck. _His baby. _"THEY BLEW UP MY TRUCK!? GODDAMMIT!" He approached the fire wondering if there was anyway to save it. _Fat chance. _

"GUNN!" Angel yelled from the shadow of the building's entrance. The vampire was pacing back and forth like a caged animal. His nerves were on the verge of snapping. Over and over again he heard the sidhe's words like a cackling joke in his head. Angel knew that this was going to happen. His old beliefs told him so. _No one can stop fate. I should have know that better than anyone else. But I hoped. And I prayed. _ He pounded on the wall. Fist after fist against plaster and concrete until potholes marked the surface. _Why do you have to take away everything and everyone I have ever cared about? Is every life you take a payment for every life I have taken? _He slid down to his feet in a tired heap. _Why do they have to suffer?_ He turned towards the door, "WESLEY! CORDELIA! ANYONE ANSWER ME!" His voice began to break. "please. please, answer me……" 

Suddenly Gunn came into the light with Cordelia in his arms. The girl looked so frail and beaten up but there was a hint of disgust in her eyes. She was all right. Gunn walked back into the office and settled her on the couch. Angel was right behind him, hopping up and down. "Where's Wesley? Is he okay? Is he still alive?"

Gunn shook his head as he grabbed a cup of water for Cordelia. "I didn't see him."

"What do you mean you didn't see him?!" Angel's voice was curt and sharp almost to the point of being rude. 

Gunn took offense. His own voice mimicked Angel's. "When I said 'I didn't see him', I mean _I didn't see him. _He wasn't out there." 

"He left," Cordelia suddenly spoke as she sat up on the couch. She took the cup of water and sipped at it. A moment later she slipped out of her heels. Blood soaked her right heel. She winced at the sight and looked at her flesh. A rather large shard was protruding from her skin. Biting her lip she yanked it out. "He went off after them."

"Them?" Angel asked.

"The Yakuza?" Gunn added.

The girl nodded. Her eyes began to tear up. She looked like she was on the verge of having another fit but she held herself together. "There were two of them. Asians in suits in an old white car. Like your style of car. The 60's type. They first tossed the bomb into Gunn's truck and they came back for us. All the bullets missed me. It was lousy aim and the fact that Wesley shielded me. He took a bullet in the arm. He was bleeding. He still is bleeding. Oh-oh, I don't know." She paused and took another sip. "I tried to stop him. He was just so mad. Angel, he's going to get himself killed."

In a soft voice that was barely louder than a whisper Angel spoke, "I know."

The response confused Gunn and Cordelia. They were expecting Angel's usual battlecry of "Not if I can help it." Or at least something along the lines of it. He was after all the war hero in the undead battle. His job was supposed to rally up the troops and take them charging into the good fight with all the hope and confidence that one's soul could give. What Angel gave them instead sounded like acceptance of defeat. Cordelia dropped her head and began to cry. Gunn refused to have the same reaction. Anger came to the surface. This was not his Angel at all. This was a coward who needed a good punch in the mouth. The young man gritted his teeth and grabbed Angel by his shirt.

"Are you going to give up just like that?!" Gunn yelled, "I thought he was your friend."

Angel looked away. "He is my friend. And you don't understand."

"You're right I don't understand. Now will you explain to me why the hell I don't understand?" He shoved Angel back down right next to Cordelia on the couch.

The vampire stared at the floor. He refused to look at anyone in the eyes. Cordelia wiped her tears away. Angel was indeed acting odd. Finally she was picking up on this. "Angel, you know something, don't you?" The vampire remained cold. Cordelia suddenly grabbed the vampire by his chin and made him look her in the eye, "Tell me! Tell us!"

Shrugging her off Angel sunk further in the couch. Silence filled the room. Gunn couldn't take it. He threw his hands in the air, "This is such a waste of my time. I don't know Wesley all that well but I know I am not going to let him die when there is a chance to save him. Cordelia, are you with me?"

The girl shot a look at Angel who was still sitting like a stone statue. She turned to Gunn and nodded. "Let's go." She hopped off the couch and went to her desk to grab Angel's keys. 

"It's no use," Angel suddenly spoke. His voice lacked any emotion. "He's dead. Or at least he will be by the time you find him. And all you will find is his body."

"Stop it, Angel," Cordelia hissed as she glared at the vampire. "I can't believe what I am hearing. I looked up to-"

Angel raised his head. With a stare so cold that it froze the girl in midsentense he spoke. "Do you know what a Bean Sidhe is?"

"A banshee?" the girl responded with a shrug of her shoulders.

Gunn took a step foreward, "I do. It's a death messenger ghost or spirit. It would cry and wail before someone was about to die."

Cordelia's eyes went wide as something clicked in her mind. "Sidhe? Sidhe!" She slapped the keys back down on the desk, "That Leanhaun Sidhe yesterday, she was talking to you in Irish. You told me she was insulting you. But she wasn't, was she?"

The vampire shook his head softly and began to rub his hands together. "No, you're right. She wasn't insulting me at all. Instead she was allowing me to see her sister, the banshee, who was standing over Wesley's unconscious body."

A gasp came from Cordelia as she sunk to her feet. "What? What do you mean?"

"Wesley is going to die soon and the banshee was there to bring the message,"

"No," the girl whispered as refused to believe it. She shook her head softly and then harshly until her head looked like it was about to snap off. "That can't be true. It was a trick by that creature."

"Those spots on Wesley's shirt last night," Angel continued, "those were tears from the banshee. She was weeping for him."

"STOP IT!" Cordelia yelled. She covered up her ears and balled up. 

Angel did not obey. "Wesley is going to die and there is nothing we can do about it."

"Like hell there is," Gunn interrupted. He took Cordelia by the shoulders and lifted her to her feet. Wiping her tears he settled her down at one of the chairs that stood by the desk. "Now I might not be as old as you, Ancient, but I have learned and seen some pretty amazing things over my life time. And one of which is that you can cheat death. Case in point, you. Look at you. You should be decomposing in a pine box in some peat bog somewhere. But no, you are here. Walking and talking. And I don't see any strings on you." He sighed as he tried to make his point. "And if we can't find a way. Then at least his body should have a proper funeral. With a priest or rabbi or whatever faith he belongs to. At least give him that. Which was more than I could give to my sister." His voice trailed off at the last sentence.   


He looked at Angel with eyes that were drained of any real emotion. He looked tired. But he also looked like he was not about to let another person go through the agony he went through with his beloved sister. Sticking his hand out for the vampire he spoke, "So, what do you say, Angel?"

The vampire looked at the empty hand and then at Cordelia. The girl was back up on her feet. Gone were the tears and panicky look on her face. She had the keys to the Plymouth in her hand and looked as ready to go as she could ever be. The only thing she was looking for from the vampire was his okay. But Angel knew that despite his blessing or not she was going. She was just testing him. For what answer? Angel could not understand completely. Closing his eyes he thought of Wesley dying alone. And staying dead alone. The vampire knew how that felt. He remembered the endless number of nights where his tainted soul wore heavy on his body. The weight was so unbearable that he felt like he was being smothered underneath it. Dying every night only to be reborn the next night and die again. The cycle was maddening. He would not wish such a fate on his worse enemy let alone his friend. 

__

His friend. 

__

I should have told him. I should have told Wesley everything from the beginning. Perhaps things would have been different. No. They would have been different. He could feel his eyes began to ache as they yearned to cry. _That sidhe was right. Wesley is going to die by my own hands._ He opened his eyes and looked at Gunn's hand once more. _But I can at least give him this, a death with dignity. _He grabbed the young man's hand and rose to his feet. 

"We're going to need guns. A lot of them," the vampire said as he began to head towards the elevator. "Stay here."

Gunn and Cordelia obeyed and stayed behind. The young man smiled while shaking his head. Angel never failed to amaze him. The look on his face confused Cordelia.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's nothing. Angel's a trip, you know," he said as Cordelia walked passed him to the file cabinet. He watched the girl pull out a mini crossbow and several stakes. "It's just I could have sworn he was gonna lick the dust."

The girl stopped cocking the crossbow for a moment and gave Gunn a funny look. "'Lick the' whahhh?" She pulled back the string and slipped in a stake. "What does that me?"

"'Lick the dust,'" the young man replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "It's expression my grandmother used to tell me all the time. She would say "Even if the outlook appears dim if the cause is just, then it is better to fight than to lick the dust". It was one of those rhyming proverbs that the older generation loves to say. Anyway, it simply means to abandon or give up. With the way V-man was acting I thought he was actually not going to put up a fight for Wesley."

"Well, you don't know Angel all that well. At least not the way I know him," the girl said as she placed the crossbow in her bag. "Angel would never give up on someone he cares about." She paused realizing she was lying to herself. For a moment back there she even had her doubts about Angel's loyalty. And she felt awful about it. Shaking her head she promised herself that such doubts would never arise again. _Change the subject. _"Gunn, I've got a question. No offense now."

The man sneered, "Which means I am going to take offense."

"Anyway…I just want to know, how did you know about the banshee? You don't seem like the woodsy fairy type."

Gunn narrowed his eyes and gave the girl a deadpan stare. He looked as if someone had just question him about his manhood or his street credit. Suddenly his defensive wall broke down with an amused laugh. "'Darby O'Gill and the Little People'. That movie would come on TV every Saint Patrick's when I was little. I'd never missed it."

Cordelia laughed. "How cute! I love that movie!"

"So do I." He came up close to the girl and gritted his teeth, "But if you tell this to anyone I will pretend that you've turned into a vampire and stake you. Got it?"

"Mums the word." she said as she made a zipping motion across her mouth. 

Suddenly the elevator door swung opened and out walked Angel with every weapon he could carry in his arms. He dropped the guns, stakes, battleaxes, crossbows, water guns filled with Holy Water, swords and just about everything else that was sharp and pointy on the desk. "I figured not only are we going to come across vampires but oni and kappa as well. Something here should kill them." 

Cordelia picked up a battleaxe, "God, I wish Wesley was here. He could be telling us right now which one of these would work and which ones would make us an demony laughing stock. He is so good at these things. I wish I could see him."

"Don't worry," Angel said as he slipped a sawed off shotgun into the folds of his coat, "We will." 

END OF PART THREE


	4. gimme danger

Angel the series was created and is owned by Joss Whedon. I am Lamech. Here me roar. 

(ahem) ~meow~ …._Feh, I really must work on that._

As always, please take the time to review the story. How do you like it so far? What do you not like about it? Thank you for your time. If you want, drop a line and visit the old webpage. [dimension exit 12][1].(bows and departs.) 

______________________________________________________________

LICK THE DUST

(part four)

by Lamech

Angel lied across the backseat of the Plymouth with a thick comforter over him while Gunn drove. Even with the cloth top up, sunlight still found a way to leak in hence the cover up. The comforter was not exactly a lead sheet but it worked. He peeked out where sunlight failed to reach him. He could see the back of Cordelia's head, who was sitting in the front seat. 

__

I should be sitting up there. He let out a groan. _I feel like a damn little kid back here. _He pulled down the cover back over his face and realized something. _I don't believe it. I am a kid, complete with a security blanket!_

Cordelia turned around in her seat and peaked down at the vampire. "How are you holding up, Angel?"

The comforter stirred. "I'm fine. And how does it look up there?"

"We're stuck in traffic," she answered. Leaning against her seat as if it were more a bar than a piece of the car she sighed, "And it doesn't look like we are going to be moving any time soon. Look on the bright side though, if Wes went down this way he should be stuck in traffic too. So, let's hear it for L.A. traffic."

"That is unless the car he was following took the back roads. Then he could be way ahead of us," spoke Gunn as he stared at the endless sea of cars before him.

"Oh." The girl turned around and stared at the cars as well. "Damn L.A. traffic. C'mon, move already!"

Angel poked out his head once more, "Where do you think he of could've been heading, Gunn? Could it be back to the Yakuza?" 

Gunn did not turn around. Instead he shrugged his shoulders. He folded his arms. There wasn't a need to hold onto the steering wheel. The car was not going anywhere. "Could be. And if that's the case then I know where that is. My people have been covering that place for a good week. We haven't been inside of it but we do know who has been in and out of that place." 

The inside of the car grew quiet. Everyone was lost in his or her own thoughts. Suddenly Gunn grabbed hold of the steering wheel. His foot slammed the gas pedal and he swerved the car onto the shoulder. Cordelia grabbed hold of the roof and the dashboard. She muttered a prayer as Gunn raced the car forward. Angel sat up to see what was going on only for a beam of sunlight to hit him across the face. His skin began to instantly blister and smoke. The smell of meat cooking filled the car. He fell back down and covered his face. 

His fingers brushed across his brow to feel the sticky mixture of puss, blood and already forming new skin growing. Pain awoke in every nerve in his body. He slammed a hand over his mouth and let out a muffled scream. That helped a little. Letting go he yelled out to Gunn. "What is going on?"

"I am using a shortcut," the man answered as he drove on.

Cordelia on the other side of the car had her eyes closed as tight as she could get them. Both of her hands still had a death grip on the roof and dashboard. For once she cursed Angel's car for having more style and less safety. _Why couldn't he be driving a Volvo? There's no shame in that. They're good sturdy cars. Oh, God, please, don't let us get into an accident because Mr. Toad here decided he wanted to go on his wild ride now. And, please, please, PLEEEEASE, let there not be any cops. I know I've prayed to you that I want to be on TV but not on the six o'clock news!_

The car suddenly turned once more. Cordelia opened her eyes slightly. She saw the familiar green highway sign overhead claiming that they were entering the exit for E 2nd St.. The car went back onto the semi-empty road. Gunn smiled. This was the type of driving he was used to. 

Cordelia stared out the window and took in the foreign scenery. She thought she had been to everywhere in Los Angeles but this was all new to her. 

From under his blanket Angel stuck out a finger. When the flesh failed to sizzle he peeked out from his cover. His face revealed a fresh pink scar that ran across the bridge of his nose. "What was that?! And where are we?" 

An amused Gunn answered, "That was the shortcut I was telling you about. And we're in Little Tokyo. This is where we've followed the Yakuza to after they've swept through my neighborhood." His voice was that of a tour guide. Calm and matter a fact. He could have been telling them about Beverly Hills and the fabulous homes of the stars rather than the hide out of a mafia ring as far as they could tell with that tone. He settled down into the seat like it was the captain's chair to an ancient sea ship. "This car may be old and a bit sluggish but you can never go wrong with a classic. I love this machine!"

Cordelia did not bother to turn her head to look at Angel. She did not have to. She knew exactly what sort of face the vampire was making. It was the same_ I don't believe this is happening_ as hers. She rolled her eyes. 

Angel shook his head and sat up. He curled his body into a tight ball making sure no body parts peaked out except for his face, which was cast in a deep shadow. The sunlight was not shining in anymore but glare of the hood and the sheer brightness of the world around him made his eyes ache slightly. He squinted. "Cordy, do you see Wes anywhere?"

She looked around the busy streets. Dozens and dozens of American-Japanese and Japanese roamed the district going about their day to day lives. Only every so often did Cordelia see a face of a different ethnic background. A redhead here. A Chicano over there. But there wasn't a tall dark haired European in a gray Polo shirt and Dockers to be seen. Nor did she see his bike. _C'mon, Wes, where are you?_

_______________________________________________________________

  


After nearly losing the car twice between the traffic and the back roads Wesley had tailed the Falcon all the way to Little Tokyo. The car pulled into a lot that was littered with construction materials. Dumpsters of useless lumber, broken concrete and other building goods made a small maze across the grounds. On either side of lot stood dual two story brick buildings that looked like they had seen better days. All the curtains in the windows were drawn giving the impression that who ever was in there wanted to be left alone. 

Wesley parked his bike about a quarter of a block away between two large SUV's. For once he was joyed for large American mechanical monstrosities. They gave him the perfect cover. He looked at his damaged arm. The bleeding had finally stopped but blood caked up the lower half of his sleeve. Carefully he rolled up his sleeve trying to hide the blood within the rolls. The bleeding may have stopped but the pain was still there. He bit his lower lip but a whimper still escape. He glanced up to see if anyone was watching him. No one was. The district locals were lost in their own world that or they just did not care that some _blood covered_ _spectacled gaijin _was in their home. Chalk it up to LA. Everyone was jaded. Been there. Done that. Got the T-shirt. 

It didn't matter to Wesley. Actually he preferred the situation that way. The last thing he wanted was some old lady in her housedress screaming at him and making a scene. He climbed off his bike and rolled up his other sleeve. It was then and only then that he realized something. _I don't have any weapons. _How stupid could he be? What did he plan on doing anyway? Running into the Yakuza quarters and yelling, "Everyone get down on the floor…….pretty please?" He took off his glass for a moment and felt his face. _Think. _

No, he couldn't fight. But he could do what he was good at. What Cordelia told him he was good at. _He was the fact finding, research guy._ He could spy, gather information and then return to the office. _But Angel…_He thought about it for a moment. _I have a few weapons at home. Maybe I shouldn't do this alone. But… _He closed his eyes. Planning was usually one of his better traits and yet the whole thing before him looked like a mess of knots. _I am about to step into a den of snakes and I don't have a bloody clue what do next. _ Self doubt began arise in him. And then suddenly he began to feel the sting of Angel's slap across his cheek once more. The memory of it refused to be ignored. _I am not worthless. I can do this. _

He took a deep breath and looked around the SUV. The two Asians that were in Falcon strolled into the far-left building of the lot. Another Asian in a white tank top and a hooded figure walked out of the other building. The man had a suit of tattoos covering his body and was smoking a cigarette. Every time he lifted his hand to take a drag Wesley was able to see that his pinkie was gone. Between the _irezumi_ and the chopped off digit there was no doubt in the young man's mind that this was a Yakuza. However the cloaked figure left him puzzled. That was until the figure reached out and patted the Yakuza on the shoulder. The figure's hand was the deepest blue that Wesley had ever seen. _Oni._

The young man looked around the neighborhood again. Dull bored residents looked back as they shuffled up and down the streets. He couldn't understand it. He was one thing. But to have the Yakuza in their own backyard, and the young man knew for sure that they knew as well and not react was something all together different. Were they that afraid? He remembered Kobe and how hard it was getting information from any of the locals there about the Slayer and Watcher deaths. 

The Yakuza and the oni walked into the far-left building. And then nothing happened. Wesley's body tightened up. _It was now or never. _He began to walk down the block like he belonged there hoping to blend in. He stuck out like a sore thumb. But besides a giggle from a pair of schoolgirls who were walking behind him no one said a thing. Quickly he slipped out of the small crowd and stood flat across the shadow of the building.

His mind was racing. _Right, right, I'll use the fire escape to go up the building and from there I'll use the air ducts to go through each floor. Then I can gather information, see who is there and go back to Gunn. Then we can…we can…_He closed his eyes. His heart was pounding so hard that he could feel it in his throat. _I can't think that far ahead! One thing at a time. Spy first. _He turned around to look for the fire escape only to practically scream in utter frustration. _I'm on the wrong side of the bloody building?!? _The fire escape was indeed on the other side. 

Dropping to his knees against the building he thought for a moment. _Maybe this is a sign from God. Maybe I should go back to the office. _Taking off his glasses he gazed up at the hazy world around him. A heavy sigh came next. _I don't believe this. I am right outside of my enemy's headquarters and I am arguing with myself on what I should do next. _He placed his glasses back on and stood up tall. His face took on a look of confidence as he thought of his history and his possible future. _Ian was my friend. My good mate. And Gunn and his people are counting on me. I can do this. I know I can. I'll show Cordelia and Angel that I can do this. _A smirk came across his face. _And if I die I hope they don't put me in one of those gaudy coffins. I preferred to be burned. _

With his mind made up Wesley stepped out onto the street once more. The cloaked figure behind him made sure he did not take another step. 

_______________________________________________________________________

The Plymouth was barely half a block away and with every gaining foot it took Gunn felt fear grow in him. He knew that this was possibly the stupidest thing he ever done. _You're not supposed to go charging into your rival's territory after they've just attacked you. They're going to be expecting it. _But still he had to do it. Deep in his heart he knew that when decisions came to matters such as these every man counted. Every life counted. And if there was a chance to save one then every effort must be done to do so. 

Besides he came to Angel asking for them to risk their lives to help him and his people. He had to show that if the roles were in reverse he'd be willing to do the same. Only Gunn did not plan for the reversal to come so soon. 

His hands were white knuckled against the steering wheel. But his face showed a cool, calm expression. 

Cordelia on the other hand was practically crawling the walls. "I don't see him or his bike anywhere. Gunn, are you sure they would have gone here?!" She scanned out the windows. "What if he is in another part of town? What if he decided to return to the office? What if he's still stuck in traffic?"

Angel placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Cordelia." The girl calmed down. "Just keep looking." 

A moment of peace passed before Cordelia began screaming again. Only this time it was out of joy. She threw up an arm and pointed out of Gunn's window. Which in turn made him jerk and sent the car racing. Slamming his foot on the brake Gunn ground the car to a screeching stop. Angel flew forward into the back of Cordelia's seat and smacked hard against it. Pain followed. 

Cordelia saw the whole thing. She grabbed at the seat belt that was snuggly fitted across her chest; "You should have had your seat belt on."

Both Gunn and Angel glared at the girl. Instead of feeling the brunt of both of their anger Cordelia pointed out the window. "Look! There between those SUV's."

The two men turned not sure what to expect. With Cordelia it could be anything. 

"That's Wesley's bike," the girl yelled, "I know that death trap anywhere!"

Angel looked at the parked vehicle. It was indeed Wesley's motorcycle. Hope grew in him. But then as soon as the relief came the emotion vanished leaving a hole behind. Thick poisonous fear quickly filled the void. _What if I am too late?_ He came closer to the window only to shrink back when pain began to cover him. Looking down at his hands he saw smoke dancing off his flesh. He was too close to the sunlight. Too close to do anything. 

"He's not here," remarked Gunn, waking Angel from his daze. 

Angel drew the cover tighter around him, "Drive up a little further. Maybe we can spot him on the street." 

Gunn obeyed. 

The Plymouth edged forward. 

Cordelia began to pray under her breath to anything and everything that was holy to help her. Her own thoughts went to what Angel said about the banshee and her warning. The very notion that death could be predicted like that frightened her. Would she have a warning before she was about to die? And if she did would she be able to see it and recognized it. She thought of how Angel kept that very secret about Wesley to himself. No wonder he wanted to do a family bonding act such as bowling. The vampire wanted every moment he had with Wesley to count. But in the end his own actions that were meant to protect the young man drove him away. 

But still the girl could not blame the vampire for keeping the secret. It was after all Wesley. The young man had a tendency to fly off the handle when it came to certain things. Especially when it came to death. And who knows even if Angel had told Wesley about the death warning maybe, just maybe the same thing would have had happened. Maybe Wesley would have realized that he was going to die no matter what and would have decided that a fight to the death would have been better than a coward's death. Over the months she had worked with the young man she had learned a few things about him. And that was despite the thin shell that Wesley put out. Under the clumsy, snobby know it all facade, Wesley was actually brave. But it was like pulling teeth to make him show that side of himself. It was as if he wanted to fail. That he felt he was not deserving of success. 

Cordelia's thoughts then switched over to the spat in the street between the two of them. 

The closet remark came foreward. She had picked up that Wesley had a bad childhood. But perhaps it was worse than she thought. For a second she thought of her own father. Yes, he had cheated on his taxes but that was it. Other than that he had spoiled her all her life with praise, affection and money. Her every whim was his command. She closed her eyes and thanked her father for being who he was. 

She opened her eyes and looked out the window again. And to her amazement she saw him. She saw Wesley. He was walking out of the shadow of the building. And he was alive. Everyone else in the car saw him at the same time. Angel began shouting to Gunn to take the car down the alley. That he was going to grab Wesley and for him afterwards to floor it. Gunn shouted back that he wasn't sure that car would fit in the narrow alleyway. The side mirrors and the entire body of the car might become destroyed. And even worse the car might become stuck. 

Angel glared into the rearview mirror at Gunn. For once in several times the vampire cursed that he did not have a reflection otherwise his simple glare would have told Gunn all he needed to know. 

"Will you two stop arguing!" Cordelia screamed as face went red with anger. Did they not care about what was going before them? She then went back to Wesley, "He's leaving and we might lo-" Her voice stopped and finished with a gasp. She spotted the figure behind Wesley. 

The creature grabbed Wesley by the neck and bashed his head once against the brick wall. The man's body went limp and fell foreward into the creature's arms. He did not even see what had hit him. The creature pulled down his hood revealing the deep blue face of a tusked oni. The demon came close to Wesley's face. A black as tar tongue slowly licked the young man's cheek as if oni was testing the taste of his flesh. A jagged fanged smile showed the oni's approval. Slowly the creature began to drag the young man deeper into the shadows. 

Cordelia yelled in horror as all color flushed from her face. She went for her door only for Gunn to grab her and yank her back. 

"What do you think you are doing?" His face was twisted in anger. "You can't go up against something like that!"

Angel's eyes narrowed. _But I can. _The rear car door swung open and out flew Angel. His body was still bundled up in the comforter but under the harsh midmorning sun it offered little protection. The skin on his exposed hands began to smoke and blister. Suddenly flames burst across his uncovered skin. 

Cordelia watched as Angel dove into the building's shadow. Her mouth fell opened but she did not speak. Her mind was too puzzled by the act before her to worry about such things as speech. She just sat there in quiet awe. Gunn snapped her back into reality with a string of hissed obscenities. 

"God damned stupid fucking vampire," he hissed as he grabbed hold of the steering wheel as tightly as he could. "You want to see if this car will fit into the alley, then fine we'll see if it does!"

Suddenly the sound of gunfire interrupted his anger. Gunn ducked in his seat, as did Cordelia. There on the front steps to the first building were two men. Yakuza. They had just happened to be walking out of the building at that moment. Deciding that Gunn and the Plymouth had no place there in their home they chose to clean house. Bullets rained down as more men with irezumi came out to the front to join them. More gunshots followed. None of it was direct fire. They did not want to kill who ever was in the car too quickly. The day had been dull in the building and any excitement they could get was a pleasant welcome. Especially when the target such as the huge sitting duck before them did not once fire back. 

The people along the streets screamed. They fell onto the pavement cowering in fear of their lives. Cordelia could hear the voices of old women begging for the gunfire to stop. In the distance she heard a baby screaming its head off in terror and confusion. She felt like that baby. "Gunn," she cried, "Do something!"

Obeying Gunn sucked in his breath and stomped on the gas pedal. The car gave off a loud wail as if it was an injured animal and raced forward. Angel's open rear door slammed against a parked car and shut itself. Weaving back and forth down the street the Plymouth raced for cover as bullets continued to dent and mark it. Suddenly Gunn sat up and swirled the car around the corner and pushed the Plymouth as fast as it would go. Cordelia felt her body being pressed against her seat by the force. Covering her eyes and balling up in the chair she held her breath. _C'mon, c'mon, this can't be my end. I'm vision girl. I can't die. I haven't given the gift to anyone. Don't cheat me, PTB. You can't change the rules in the middle of the game. _ The firing suddenly stopped. But the car kept on roaring down the road. Cordelia's hands raced across her body. _No holes. No blood. And that is always a good thing. _Her eyes opened and glanced around. Barely two inches from where her head was a few minutes ago was a bullet hole in her seat. _Oh, the church is so getting a bonus from me come next time I go for my weekly Holy Water pick-up. _

Cordelia looked up at Gunn. A mixture of complete anger and pale shock graced his face. He looked like he wanted to yell. And he did. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Suddenly the car swirled around in the street leaving a heavy tire streak on the road. The front of the Plymouth was pointed in the direction of the Yakuza but did not move. Instead the vehicle just sat there like a ruined vessel. Too damaged to charge back into war. 

"That fool," whispered Gunn, "Now not only do we have Wesley to worry about but now him as well."

Suddenly Cordelia climbed out of the car. Gunn followed thinking she was going to go back on foot after Angel. He lost Angel but there was no way on earth he was going to let the girl slip though his grasp. If need be he would tackle her in the middle of the street and toss her in the trunk. But to his surprise she only took out her cell phone from her pocket and dialed a number. 

Gunn stared on with much curiosity. The girl shook her head and took a deep breath. She looked like she was preparing to run a marathon. Then suddenly she tensed up her body and began to cry. "Hello? Hello?" she said in a voice so frail that even scared Gunn. Still he did not say anything. He just watched.

The girl continued, "911? Oh, oh, god, oh, god, pl-please, please (sob) you have-have to help me. I'm, I'm in my bedroom closet. There's a man in my house. He-he already killed my brother…..no, no, I don't know who he is. But I know he is going to kill me if you don't come….I-I don't know….yes…no, a gun…I DON'T KNOW….(sob)….(sob)."

Cordelia proceeded to give the address to the Yakuza's building all the while crying and halfway screaming. Her performance was so real that she was physically sobbing and shaking like the victim she was portraying. 

"Please…please, hurry. I-he's coming. I have to go. Please, hurry…." She hung up and closed the phone. Wiping her faux tears she smiled at Gunn who was standing there with his mouth wide open. "That takes care of that," she said as leaned against the car. "The cops come in and flush everyone out. Then we can find Wesley and Angel."

Gunn shook his head. "That was stupid."

Cordelia scrunched up her brow. "What do you mean?"

"The cops are going to raid the place, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Here they are charging into the place thinking there will only be one guy. Not a building full of Yakuza, vampires, oni and kappa! They aren't going to be prepared at all. Do you have any idea what an ugly bloodbath this is going to be?! And all thanks to your little pity play."

The girl's eyes grew big as a blush traced her cheeks. She smiled meekly and bit her nail. 

__

"Oops."

END OF PART FOUR

   [1]: http://www.geocities.com/dimensionexit12/index.html



End file.
